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Depakote Lawsuit

Depakote, a commonly prescribed anti-seizure medication, has been found to increase the likelihood of babies being born with serious birth defects when taken by the mother during pregnancy. These illnesses may include congenital problems like spina bifida or other neural tube defects. Further research suggests that women should avoid taking Depakote throughout childbearing years whenever possible.

In 28% of infants whose mothers took Depakote, birth defects, developmental delays, and fetal death occurred. These defects occurred in only 2% of infants whose mother took Lamictal, 7% of those who took Dilantin, and 10% of those who took Tegretol. In other words, taking Depakote compared to other similar medications increases the chances of children being born with serious defects significantly.

Depakote and Pregnancy

Prior research suggests that many women who already take anti-seizure medications for epilepsy should continue to do so because uncontrolled seizures during pregnancy could possibly cause miscarriage. Also, seizures may become harder to manage after one has stopped medication.

It is likely that family planning decisions would be impacted by the knowledge that Depakote increases the risk of serious birth defects. Although prior knowledge has revealed that taking seizure medication doubles a pregnant woman’s risk of having a child with birth defects, Depakote has been revealed as more dangerous through additional studies. Therefore, pharmaceutical companies and the medical community should take extra care to ensure that pregnant women and their physicians are well aware of the data surrounding Depakote and its link to serious birth defects.

Even though the substantial evidence against using Depakote continues to grow, this information apparently remains undisclosed. Depakote is still being prescribed to treat other conditions like migraines, bipolar disorder, and mood disorders.

Depakote and Birth Defects

Other studies have also shown many problems in children whose mothers took Depakote during pregnancy. In one study, researchers tracked 149 women with epilepsy who took Depakote from early pregnancy through their postnatal stage. Among the Depakote users, 11% had children with birth defects, the most common of which was spina bifida. These results, including other neural tube defects, were seen in only 3% of infants whose mothers took other drugs. In other words, a 500% greater risk of having children with birth defects or other complications exists when pregnant women take Depakote.

This study also looked at pregnant mothers on Depakote who also took supplements, including prenatal vitamins and sometimes folic acid, during pregnancy. While it is recommended that pregnant women take 400 micrograms of folic acid daily to prevent neural tube defects, those who take Depakote may actually need 10 times that amount in order to counter the drug’s negative effects.

Depakote Litigation

The Depakote Spina Bifida class action lawsuit differs greatly from an individual Depakote Spina Bifida lawsuit. In most cases, plaintiffs in the Depakote Spina Bifida lawsuit involving severe birth defects are better served by using a lawyer to file an individual suit. In this type of lawsuit, the plaintiffs’ cases are filed by a lawyer of their choosing and represented individually. This type of lawsuit allows the victim to have their own individual case considered on a singular basis. The settlement, if any, is based on the seriousness of the victim’s injuries and on their potential future needs resulting from this condition.

In a class action Depakote Spina Bifida lawsuit, a group of victims are joined to form a “class.” In this lawsuit, a lawyer then presents the class action suit to the court against the manufacturer of Depakote, Abbott Laboratories. The entire group would be represented in one lawsuit, regardless of the severity of their individual injuries. The victims of a Depakote Spina Bifida class action lawsuit then share any resulting settlement or award.